The New Zealand Oral Health Practitioner Awards
In recognition of oral health practitioners who exemplify commitment to oral health care, NZOHA wishes to acknowledge our members who are going above and beyond to raise the bar for our respective professions. We know that our members are humble and feel no need for any accolades, but these awards also ensure that valuable members of our professions are recognised by the wider oral health community and health sector.
New Zealand Oral Health Practitioner Awards 2026
In recognition of oral health practitioners who exemplify commitment to oral health care, NZOHA introduced the Oral Health Practitioner Awards.
We wish to acknowledge our members who are going above and beyond to raise the bar for our respective professions.
The 2026 winners are:
Farzana Sarkisova
NZOHA Emerging Oral Health Professional Award
Celebrating rising stars in oral health with 1-7 years of professional experience who demonstrate strong clinical and leadership skills early in their careers.
Farzana's bio
Farzana demonstrates great commitment to oral health, undertaking her PhD while also working clinically. She has also undertaken Maori language courses and attended multiple huis around supporting Kaupapa Maori in health education and practice. She has volunteered at Dental4all’s free dental day and goes out of her way to facilitate access to care for anyone she meets. She runs a postgraduate student support group to help other students in oral health to get into and navigate further study. She is an inspiration to anyone that knows her with her commitment to oral health as well as her exceptional knowledge. She was a guest speaker at the NZOHA conference last year and did a fantastic job.
Jenna Ward
NZOHA Oral Health Practitioner of the Year Award
Recognizing excellence in clinical care, education, research, advocacy and community service.
Jenna's Bio
Jenna is an exceptional Oral Health Therapist whose career reflects an unwavering commitment to oral health
equity, community wellbeing, and advancing the profession.
Working across both public and private oral health sectors, Jenna has developed a deep understanding of the barriers impacting access to care and has consistently advocated for more equitable, whānau-centred approaches.
Her work in Pāharakeke Flaxmere has been outstanding, building meaningful relationships with whānau, delivering holistic care, and addressing significant
oral health inequities within the community. For a community that has carried the burden of significant health inequities for generations, Jenna has been a steadfast advocate - championing whānau voices, challenging barriers to care, and working tirelessly to create a more equitable future.
Her Master of Public Health research exploring the lived experiences of Māori adults accessing care for odontogenic pain and infection further demonstrates her commitment to creating evidence-based solutions that improve access and outcomes. Alongside her clinical and research contributions, Jenna is a respected advocate and leader for the profession through her involvement
with the Health New Zealand Oral Health Review Technical Working Group (0-18).
Jenna’s combination of clinical excellence, community leadership, research, and advocacy makes her an outstanding and highly deserving recipient of the Oral Health Practitioner of the Year Award.
Dr Karen Lansdown
Hon. Dame Annette King Award for Excellence in Leadership and Oral Health
Honouring a practitioner with exceptional leadership, innovation, and significant contributions to oral health advancement.
Karen's Bio
Dr. Karen Lansdown is an outstanding oral health therapist, educator, leader and early career researcher, dedicated to equitable oral health outcomes.
During her leadership at AUT, including as Head of Department she fostered an inclusive and innovative environment leading the 2024 opening of Niho Ora ki Manukau, a community-centred clinic in South Auckland providing affordable care. She also successfully established a world first satellite oral health programme in Te Tai Tokerau and received the 2026 AUT Faculty Teaching Award (Partnerships and collaboration), the first for the Oral Health Department.
In 2026, Karen was appointed Deputy Head of School, Acute and Primary Health, providing academic leadership across Oral Health, Midwifery, Perioperative Practice, and Paramedicine. Her leadership is characterised by a strong commitment to collaboration, innovation, community engagement, and the success of students, staff, and communities.
Through community outreach initiatives, Karen has significantly advanced oral health equity and raised the visibility of oral health therapy. Inspired by her lived experience as the parent of a son with cerebral palsy (CP), she developed a programme of research exploring the oral health priorities, quality of life, and barriers to dental care experienced by people with CP, culminating in the completion of her PhD in 2026. With more than NZD 1.33 million in funding, she has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and now mentors’ students and practitioners to build research capability and strengthen the future of the profession.
Past Winners
NZOHA Emerging Oral Health Professional Award
2025 - Shantanu Rawal
NZOHA Oral Health Practitioner of the Year Award
2025 - Barbara Patience
Hon. Dame Annette King Award for Excellence in Leadership and Oral Health
2025 - Georgina Welsh
Past Winners - Pre 2026
Dental Hygienist of the Year
2016 - Mary Mowbray
2017 - Lesley Turner Hall
2018 - Anna Holyoake
2019 - Paula Palmer
2021 - Erin Campbell Day
2022 - Cynthia Wallbridge
2023 - Kirsty Barltrop
2024 - Rachel Holden
Dental Therapist of the year
2018 - Barbara Dewson
2019 - Arish Naresh
2021 - Dr Elizabeth Webb
2022 - Adrienne Rollo
2023 - Leeann Waaka
2024 - Nikki Marisigan
Oral Health Therapist of the year
2018 - Samuel Carrington
2019 - Yun Yu Liu
2021 - Sheena Mcphail
2022 - Jacquie Clements
2023 - Anne-Marie Maikuku
2024 - Sarah Majeed
Hon. Annette King Award for Leadership and Excellence in Oral Health
2018 - Arish Naresh
2019 - Dr Susan Moffat
2021 - Dr Helen Tane
2022 - Cynthia Wallbridge
2023 - Anne-Marie Maikuku
2024 - Dr Deanna Beckett
People's Choice
2022 - Elizabeth Webb
2023 - Sara Jawadi
2024 - Anne Turnock
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Thank you to the Clare Foundation for supporting Te Ohu Pūniho Ora o Aotearoa – New Zealand Oral Health
